VIP stands for Varqa (Faraid), Ibrahim (Akram) and Parham (Faraid). All three are also members of the country’s finest music group to emerge in recent times, Saakin.

While all three remain members of Saakin, their origin story actually begins with Red Blood Cat, a band that has one single to its name, but opened shows for Saakin and in doing so found its own audience. VIP’s debut album, VIP Recollection - Live Album is very much a live album that is the result of the last show VIP played before Ibrahim Akram left for the US. Parham Faraid from the group told Instep: “It was in a sense a farewell gig. We captured the gig on audio and video. The initial idea was to put the audio-visual as a combined release but some of the footage was amiss.”

As Parham reiterated that after VIP made several efforts to recover the lost footage and with delays because of the search, the trio eventually decided to release the live audio album with plans to upload the footage on their YouTube channel.

VIP emerged as at least one member of Red Blood Cat (Zain Ali) got busy playing session guitar for Atif Aslam. And Red Blood Cat never play without each member present. In the absence of Zain, as Varqa, Parham and Ibrahim continued to jam and play music, it led to the birth of (super-group) VIP. It was like three friends coming together and playing music. For their last gig, as Ibrahim Akram was leaving for the US, VIP also roped in Shamsher Rana to make sure the sound was fuller and as they hoped, it was. To be sure, you only have to listen to their 5-track album.

A throwback to Red Blood Cat is also present with the song ‘Outro – Red Blood Cat tribute’.

“I was shaking from a storm in me/Haunted by the spectres that we had to see/Yeah, I wanted to be the melody/Above the noise, above the hurt” - ‘The Miracle of Joey Ramone’ by U2

Whether you have followed this super group since they outplayed another iconic indie band at a music festival, or whether you are just as delighted by Saakin, is irrelevant. What VIP has cleverly done is play music that comes naturally to them without trying to imitate other independent bands. It is obvious from the opening track, ‘Introspect’.

For a live album, VIP’s 5 track effort is a lesson in musical design. And as Parham noted, they wanted the sound to be fuller, which it really is. Veering into various genres and subgenres of music, ‘Introspect’ feels like an entrance into an intergalactic world. The multiple layers of keyboards, the ability to hold back, this is not a song so much as a musical piece that creates a sense of hope.

‘Moment’ has definite flavor of jazz that is surprising and elating. It fits right in because of how the song is arranged and structured almost like walking in a jazz bar and being surprised without expecting it. ‘Snake’, the third track on the record is full of musical layers, lending to a sound that is heavier than its predecessors, yet is just as gripping. ‘Midnight’ is strangely enough both playful and ominous at the same time. There is funk yet it borders on electronic chaos.

The final track, ‘Outro – Red Blood Cat tribute’ with its beautiful vocals is the heaviest, grittiest song on the album.

On an album such as this, there are many instrumental flavours that keep emerging as you listen again and again. Some of the finest musicians in the country have produced an album that sounds nothing like a live album and more like an impeccable studio production. Therein lies VIP Recollection’s curious success. It’s the kind of album that forges a legacy ahead of pandering to a mass population. Highly recommended!

– VIP’s record is available on all major platforms including Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify and Deezer among others.